A group of suspected Pakistani Taliban flee from North Waziristan on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Among the dead are insurgents linked to last Monday's all-night siege of Karachi airport that killed 38 people, including 10 attackers, and all but destroyed a tentative peace process between the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and the government.

The mountainous Dehgan area, about 25 kilometres west of the main town of Miranshah in North Waziristan, is a stronghold for Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants on the border with Afghanistan.

"Today at about 0130 hours, a number of terrorist hideouts in Dehgan, Datta Khel in North Waziristan were targeted by jet aircraft. Over 50 terrorists, mostly Uzbek foreigners, were killed in the strikes," a statement issued by the Pakistani military said.

"There were confirmed reports of presence of foreign and local terrorists in these hideouts who were linked to the planning of the Karachi airport attack."

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However, local security officials in Miranshah speaking on condition of anonymity put the death toll far higher than the official toll.

"Up to 150 people were killed during the strikes early Sunday. These strikes were carried out based on confirmed reports about the presence of Uzbek and other militants in the area," an intelligence official said.

Another security official said "the number of the killed people was even more than 150".

The Pakistan military has not confirmed the higher figure.

However, the military statement said "an ammunition dump had also been destroyed during the strikes and that further details would follow," suggesting the death toll could rise.

Pressure has been mounting on the Pakistani government to launch a ground offensive in the Taliban-controlled North Waziristan tribal district.

Following the brazen assault in Karachi, the US carried out two drone strikes in North Waziristan on Wednesday, the first time the controversial program has been used this year.